Last week the Bear and I took a walk in Roger Williams Park, a beautiful stretch of land complete with a zoo, lake, canoeing, paddleboats, museum, planetarium and lots of land to hike around. One particularly nice spot we found was the rose garden. Granted, it was a bit late in the season, but I was surprised to see how many flowers were in bloom, and still budding.

These are tough economic times. People with decent jobs are losing them. People with good skills can't get work. The face of poverty is our neighbor's. Sometimes it's in the mirror, or worse, the faces of our children.

There's no more helpless, frustrating or demoralizing feeling than being unable to provide basic needs for your child. To know that your child is hungry, but there's nothing to feed him or her. And that's a daily reality for people all over the world, including in our own neighborhoods, on our streets and in some cases, in our homes.

To make matters worse, the tightening economy has people frightened. Food pantries are not only straining under greater demand, they're pinched by fewer donations. Fewer people donate because they're afraid of not having the money or food when they need it for themselves.

Here's what some of us can do.

If you have a pantry, and it has food in it, walk on over. Take a look inside. That can of beans you were going to use to make chili in January? Still in there? How about the creamed corn you got because you thought your family would like it?

Right now. Reach into your pantry, take out that can or box of non-perishable foods that you know you're not going to eat anyway. Take it out to your car. Put it right on the passenger's seat, or on the dashboard. Someplace you'll find it the next time you're driving.

Most chain grocery stores have collection boxes for the local food pantry or food bank. When you're on your way in, drop off that can or box. It's a small thing, but there's strength in numbers.

If you donated a can of food this week, I want to know. Tell me about it in the comments.

Another of Gorey's macabre little books, this was originally written by Hilaire Belloc. Edward Gorey's Victorian-esque drawings are perfectly suited for these morbid tales of the consequences of disobedience. For example, there's the story of "Jim, Who ran away from his nurse and was eaten by a lion."

For those with a twisted sense of humor (such as myself), very enjoyable.

Usually Cake Wrecks posts photos of professional cakes gone wrong. This time, they've come across a beautifully executed Mario cake. I'm not exactly a Mario fan, but this is terrific regardless. I really love the center layer blue orb with the stars. Below you can see the detail. It's so exact.

I'd like to challenge anyone who reads this blog to, in the next 24 hours, pick up one item of trash from your city or town's street and throw it away. It can be any public area, outdoors. Extra points if you recycle it instead.

If you like, you can come back here and leave a comment about what you picked up, or what city or town you helped to beautify.

In some states it's already too late to register to vote in the 2008 presidential election. Don't let that stop you from registering. Register now, while you're thinking about it. Get it done, get it over with. It's painless. And when the next election rolls around (mayor, governor, alderman?), you won't have to sit that one out, too.

If you're registered, good. First step's over. Then, you get out, you vote.

Not voting? Then no matter who wins, I don't want to hear you whining about the state of the country. Not for four years. Got that? Whining rights revoked. Shaddup, sit down and next time, vote.

I've been reading up on DIY and MYO for the past couple of years, mostly out of curiosity and a desire to save money and natural resources. More recently, I've been reading that the current financial situation may make DIY and MYO growing trends of necessity.

Be that as it may, there's a satisfaction in making things yourself, and in knowing what goes into the things that you use to feed your family and clean your home.

TipNut shares a recipe for homemade liquid soap that seems reasonably simple. I'll give it a try and see how it goes.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is up and running. In fact, I was seeing pink goodies in several locations back in September.

I believe strongly in breast cancer awareness and research. I'm not convinced that I need a pink hat, flavored lip gloss or a polka-dot umbrella to help advance the cause. If you're persuaded to buy pink, I encourage you to make a similar cost donation directly to the charity of your choice. Researchers need more than 3c at a time to get the job done.

Highlighting DaVinci today because of new information regarding this, one of his most famous works.image: The Food Section

Josh Friedland of The Food Section reports the findings of John Variano (Gastronomica), that the food served in the famous painting is not bread or lamb, as previously supposed. The restoration of the painting reveals that the dish in question is grilled eels garnished with orange slices. Apparently, it was quite in vogue in Leonardo's time.

Friedland is only guessing at the location of the dish that Variano refers to, and apparently there's much more detail in Gastronomica about this find. Still, it's interesting. Although I wouldn't be surprised to learn that there's also bread at the table, since it was a staple (even unleavened) of both Renaissance and Jewish diets. I'm really curious about what's on the big plate there.